Get ready to party, West Coast.
Colourful flags are being put up across Peninsula Road and that means Ukee Days is around the corner.
The Ukee Days parade will dance through town at 10:15 a.m. on July 28 on its way to Seaplane Base Field’s family-friendly fairgrounds, which will feature a baby crawling race, pudding eating contest, mad scientist, petting zoo, pony rides and many other awesome attractions, including a new foam pit.
Prior to the parade, Ukee Dayers can fuel up at a pancake breakfast at the UAC Hall where Blue Room owner Dustin Riley will be serving up delicious nourishment to help raise funds for the Ucluelet Child Care Society.
Adults and kids are encouraged to sign up for a local talent show, which will run from 3-5 p.m. on Saturday as well as the Amateur Logger Sports competition, also on Saturday.
Ukee Days is no longer on the Canadian Logger Sports Championships circuit, but Ucluelet’s Recreation Programmer Barbara Gudbranson is excited to put the saws back into local hands.
“Many years ago, when logger sports were started at Ukee Days, it was our local loggers who were competing against each other,” Gudbranson said adding that, when the Canadian Championships were brought in, some locals stopped participating. “We’re trying to bring it back to the way it was a long time ago, because logging is part of our economy still and everybody still appreciates logging here…We’re trying to bring it back and keep it alive.”
Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns praised Ukee Days as a vital celebration of West Coast culture.
“It’s cemented in our calendar. It’s totally unique. There is nowhere that does an event quite like Ukee Days,” Johns said. “Ucluelet has done a great job of retaining its history, it’s culture and it’s fun…What you know you’re going to experience at Ukee Days is community and a lot of fun. There’s a lot of laughter going on.”
He added the weekend’s festivities keep the community connected during the busy tourist season.
“In the middle of the summer, people are busy fishing, running their businesses or working in hospitality and [Ukee Days] gives everybody an opportunity to come together as a community, because we don’t see each other a lot during the peak summer season,” he said.
The Ukee Days fairgrounds is also where Ucluelet hands out its coveted citizen, business, and volunteer of the year awards and a new award has been introduced to recognize the community-benefitting efforts of a local youth.
The new Youth Citizen of the Year Award is open to any West Coast residents who are 30 years old and under and is being sponsored by the Ucluelet Recreation Commission. Municipal councillor Sally Mole played a key role in launching the award this year and said it is important to recognize the role local youth play in shaping Ucluelet.
“It’s a way to recognize the youth that we have in our community that are rocking it,” Mole said.“There’s lots of good kids out there and it makes my heart warm to see them out there being part of our community and being so nice and gracious and helpful…They’re the fabric of our community. They’re our future leaders.”
Nominations for the award should be sent to Faye Missar at faye@clayoquotbiosphere.org and include a roughly 250-word summary on why the nominee deserves recognition.
Along with seeing the award’s first young champion crowned, Mole said she’s excited to celebrate Ukee Days with the community.
“When those flags go up across Peninsula [Road], I always think, ‘Oh my gosh. It’s Ukee Days. It’s gonna be so great,” she said.
“Everyone comes home for Ukee Days and it’s just such a community feeling and great event.”
Volunteers are still needed to help the three-day event run smoothly and anyone interested in lending a hand can reach out to the Ucluelet Community Centre at 250-726-7772.
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